Di Ming

Chapter 169 Ashamed to See Chang'an
The autumn sun is like a tiger, showing no gentleness whatsoever; the lingering heat of midsummer still remains.

It wasn't even noon yet, but it was already very hot. Especially in these honeycomb-like cells, the sun couldn't block out the sunlight at all, and many people were already drenched in sweat.

Many people simply write with their right hand and fan themselves with their left.

Zhu Yin longed to take off his Confucian robes and write shirtless. However, the examination rules were strict, and even in the heat of the day, he could not remove his Confucian robes, as it would be unsightly.

So Zhu Yin could only hide the beautiful snake close to his body, using its cool body to cool down, and it did indeed make him feel a little cooler.

By noon, Zhu Yin had finally finished writing the second question on the meaning of the Four Books, which came from the Great Learning: "I am good at cultivating my vast and righteous spirit."

From dawn to noon, Zhu Yin spent three hours (six hours) writing two essays on the Four Books, totaling about a thousand characters. This pace was neither too fast nor too slow, and certainly met the required standard.

Of course, it was just a draft, with circles and dots on it.

Seeing Zhu Yin's focused, calm, and unhurried demeanor, Yuan Zhao, though unsure of the quality of his writing, dared not underestimate him.

He saw that many adult test takers were so restless and anxious that they couldn't maintain their gentle and virtuous image.

But this young man is very composed. With that kind of temperament alone, he will surely achieve great things in the future.

Yuan Zhao pondered how to make the most of this opportunity to befriend Zhu Yin.

He simply stood in front of Zhu Yin's cell, his tall figure blocking part of the sunlight, leaving the part of Zhu Yin's body that was exposed to the sunlight in his shadow.

This made it a bit cooler.

Zhu Yin smiled and expressed his gratitude.

Suddenly, the examinee in the next cell, the one who had been frightened by the beautiful snake and blamed Zhu Yin for making him even more embarrassed, stood up and said:

"General, I need to relieve myself."

The soldier frowned and said impatiently, "It's only been half a day, and you already need to relieve yourself? Let's go."

It's actually quite normal to need to urinate at this time; many test takers have done so, whether it's a large or small bowel movement.

However, this candidate was rather arrogant and ignored Hao Jun, directly addressing him as "Hao Jun," which made Hao Jun, who was supervising him, give him a cold shoulder.

Seeing the officer's impatience, the examinee's face flushed even more. He snapped his folding fan open and, with his neck stiff, demanded, "Lead the way!"

Hao Jun snorted coldly and turned to leave.

The test-taker followed behind, pretending to walk calmly. But his gait betrayed that he was probably about to soil himself and had been holding it in.

Sure enough, after only six or seven steps, he suddenly quickened his pace and started jogging with his back bent.

The soldier leading the way, seeing how impatient he was, couldn't help but show a look of disdain.

But the examinee was running too fast, and suddenly a brick under his foot came loose, causing him to stumble and fall.

"Oh dear—" he exclaimed, clutching his buttocks, his face filled with fear.

With that fall, the contents of his body could no longer be controlled and burst forth like a dam breaking.

He actually pulled down his pants right there and then.

"No—" he screamed, his face filled with despair.

The candidates and buglers nearby all covered their noses, their expressions showing disgust, but also feeling that their eyes had been opened.

Pulling his pants in the exam room? That's unheard of!

Ha ha ha ha…

Zhu Yin looked at the examinees on the ground not far away and smiled coldly.

I helped you catch a snake yesterday, and you glared at me!
How was your day? To have diarrhea in public, you're a disgrace! Even if you pass the imperial examination, it will be a shame you can never wash away.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the soldier chuckled and cursed, covering his nose and whispering, "Shengkai, get up quickly..."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a proctor strode over and shouted, "What kind of behavior is this! You've truly disgraced all scholars!"

"Get up and wash yourself quickly!"

But Shengkai looked ashen-faced and refused to get up for a long time.

The proctor frowned, immediately filled with suspicion, and shouted, "Guards, take him away!"

Two soldiers stepped forward and picked up Shengkai like an eagle snatching a chick. They saw something in the filth on the ground that looked like a small cylinder.

The invigilator forced the examiners to open the book and inspect it; sure enough, it was filled with tiny, densely packed characters. This was cheating!

"It was cheating after all!" the proctor roared. "And you even hid it in through your anus! How dare you!"

"No! No!" Shengkai screamed hoarsely, trembling with fear, her once pretty face now filled with terror. "My brother-in-law is His Highness the Prince of Huai! My sister is the Princess Consort! Don't wrong me!"

"Shut up!" the proctor shouted, pointing his spear. "How could a prince have a relative like you! The Prince of Huai's fief is Jiangxi, what are you doing here in Yingtian taking the exam! Guards, seize him!"

A group of soldiers sang a greeting, pounced on General Shengkai, captured her, and quickly took her away from the examination hall.

Those waiting to blossom will face severe consequences, ranging from imprisonment and exile to caning followed by stripping them of their academic titles and banishment from future examinations.

Upon hearing the words "Prince of Huai," Zhu Yin immediately realized that he still had leverage over Prince Zhu Zaijian: his handwritten letter.

When the "Flower Buddha" Shi Yongzhen was executed last year, many secret letters from the Jiajing era were found among Shi Yongzhen's belongings, which were related to the secrets of some officials.

Those people were nothing more than twenty years ago, but many of them have become big shots now.

Among them was a letter from Zhu Zaijian.

Back when Zhu Zaijian was still an unfavored prince, he wrote to Shi Yongzhen asking for potent drugs and asking Shi Yongzhen to sell contraband goods to Japanese pirates on his behalf. He also praised the Yan faction and asked Shi Yongzhen to bribe Yan Song to change his status to heir apparent.

Once this letter reaches the imperial court, Zhu Zaijian's throne will be stripped and transferred to his brothers, meaning even his sons will be barred from inheriting the title.

Of course, Zhu Yin did not intend to deal with a prince unless absolutely necessary.

In particular, Poyang, the fiefdom of the Prince of Huai, was geographically part of Jiangdong and was very close to Southern Zhili and Zhejiang.

Zhu Yin snapped out of his thoughts, stood up and stretched, fanning himself with a fan.

The beautiful snake crawled out of his clothes, trying to escape. But Zhu Yin caught it and hung it around his neck, wearing it close to his body.

The beautiful snake had no choice but to obediently coil up, its tongue flicking out reluctantly.

It knew it was non-toxic and couldn't do anything to these wretched humans, so it could only accept its fate.

It was midday, and the weather was even hotter. Many test-takers had already put down their pens; some were eating, and others were using the restroom.

However, they are strictly prohibited from talking to each other.

They could either eat quietly, rest on the table for a while, go to the outhouse under the watchful eyes of the buglers, or fetch water under the watchful eyes of the buglers.

Zhu Yin also started eating lunch. He had used up a lot of energy and sweated a lot that morning, so he needed to replenish his strength.

He opened the food box and took out his meal according to the date.

The more easily the food spoiled, the earlier the date Ning Caiwei would date it. For example, today's lunch was:

"One salted duck egg, two ounces of braised pork belly, two ounces of smoked venison, nine milk candies, one fried salted pancake, one small cantaloupe, one baked steamed bun, and one ounce of pickled fish roe."

The body has been replenished with fat, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and salt.

Zhu Yin really wanted to give Yuan Zhao some rare milk candies, but because of the exam rules, he couldn't give Yuan Zhao anything.

After finishing his lunch, Zhu Yin told Yuan Zhao that he was going to fetch water.

"Young master, please sit down. I'll go fetch some water!" Yuan Zhao quickly said.

Each examination shed had two water vats filled with clean water. Yuan Zhao brought Zhu Yin's water jug, filled it to the brim, and then lit a fire on the charcoal stove outside the examination cell.

"I'll boil the water, young master, please rest." Yuan Zhao was very attentive.

The other candidates envied Zhu Yin, wondering how he could have such an obedient bugler.

Zhu Yin thanked her and stroked the beautiful snake, saying, "You happen to be a female snake, so what should I name you? Hmm, your name is Jade Spotted Rat Snake, so let's call you A-Jin."

"Is this called a Jade Spotted Rat Snake?" Yuan Zhao said with a smile as he boiled water. "It really is as beautiful as a brocade ribbon. It's rare that the young master likes snakes."

Zhu Yin thought to himself, "These snakes are worth tens of thousands of yuan each in the future," and laughed:
"I wouldn't say I love snakes, I just feel sorry for them. If I release it, it will be beaten to death in this examination hall immediately, and it won't live for more than an hour. Releasing it would be taking its life."

Yuan Zhao used a flint and steel to light the mugwort floss and start a fire. He raised his somewhat moved face and sighed:
"So it was benevolence! Young Prime Minister, you are truly a gentleman. It is a blessing for the people that your son has passed the imperial examinations."

Hao Yunlai, who was in a cell not far away, rolled his eyes when he heard this.

That honest, obsequious fool! Zhu Zhihu has no compassion whatsoever; that kid is a traitor!
As the Book of Changes says: "A petty person rides on the vessel of a gentleman."

For someone like Zhu Yin, we should use the "Dun" hexagram from the Book of Changes: "There is a mountain under heaven, which is called Dun. The superior man keeps his distance from the inferior man, and is strict without being wicked."

In the end, one can turn misfortune into good fortune, just as the Tai hexagram says: "The way of the superior man grows, while the way of the inferior man diminishes."

If it weren't for the strict prohibition against talking among the candidates, Hao Yunlai would definitely have made a few sarcastic remarks.

This time, he guessed correctly on the topic of "The Doctrine of the Mean," making him even more confident of passing the imperial examination.

Hehe, little tiger, little tiger, once I pass the imperial examination and become a candidate for the civil service examination, I will definitely invite you to my home for a visit and drinks.

"I'll show you whether the grand plan I set before the exam will crumble, I'll show you the flagpole of success erected at my doorstep." Hao Yunlai smiled slightly, his thoughts flowing more smoothly.

If I pass the imperial examination this time, I can find a good wife for my younger brother and a good husband for my younger sister. As the eldest brother, I will have done my best.

Soon, the water in the teapot boiled. Zhu Yin added a handful of iced tea, mint, and sour plums, and then he was satisfied with the drink.

Only then did Zhu Yin feel the urge to use the restroom.

The makeshift outhouse had no changing facilities, so Zhu Yin had to remove his Confucian robes and wear only a short jacket. Then, accompanied by Yuan Zhao, he went to the nearest outhouse.

The stench of excrement and urine hit him as soon as he reached the door, and a swarm of flies took flight with a buzz. Zhu Yin, however, walked in without changing his expression and simply opened his folding fan to shoo away the flies.

He entered the latrine as if he were strolling leisurely.

Zhu Yin had undergone psychological training to overcome filth. When forced to carry out a mission, he could hide in latrines, garbage dumps, or sewers.

If you can't do these things, you're not a good agent.

The cell closest to the latrine was less than ten feet away; this was the so-called "dung cell".

The examinees in the latrine were pale and looked miserable, surrounded by flies that wouldn't leave them, showing how much they were suffering.

Zhu Yin entered the latrine and saw five large toilets lined up in a row, each already quite full.

It turns out that the latrine didn't have a squatting pit, but a latrine bucket.

As luck would have it, there was only one examinee squatting there, so there was no need to wait.

The examinee, however, was quite eye-catching. He held a bamboo strip in his hand, about three or four inches long and half an inch wide, which was very smooth.

This is a toilet paper stick.

Legend has it that this tiny substance can be used as medicine to treat difficult childbirth.

However, in the Ming Dynasty of today, few people use toilet paper anymore. Although there are moral regulations such as the "Cherishing Written Words Law" that prohibit wiping one's bottom with paper that has been written on, one can still use straw paper.

Toilet paper is very cheap nowadays, and it's certainly not unaffordable.

Some people don't use it, purely out of habit.

The man wiped his face with the toilet stick, and finding no roughness, he smiled with satisfaction and reached down to wipe himself.

Once, twice...

Zhu Yin remained calm, showing no disdain, but had only one question: "Does this thing shave cleanly?"

The examinee's bugler couldn't help but ask, "Why not use toilet paper?"

The candidate replied, "Nothing special, it's just refreshing and pleasant, and full of ancient charm."

His bugler immediately shut up.

Zhu Yin finished quickly, washed his hands, and walked out of the latrine. He saw the examinees in the "feces cell" struggling to drive away flies, their expressions filled with grief and indignation.

A look of despair.

Another candidate, whose pen number was dung, did not pick up a pen at this moment, but simply looked silently to the heavens.

Zhu Yin couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.

The weather was hot and humid, and being so close to the outhouse with so many flies, no one could stand it.

How can I concentrate on the exam like this?

Zhu Yin returned to his cell and was finally able to write his third essay in the eight-legged essay style.

By the time Zhu Yin finished writing the third draft, it was already early afternoon.

It was sweltering a while ago, but now it has suddenly become cool, and even an autumn breeze has picked up.

But the candidates were not happy at all; instead, they all looked worried. The raging autumn sun had disappeared, and the sky was now covered with dark clouds.

It is going to rain!

Once this rain starts, it probably won't stop anytime soon.

“Young master, it’s going to rain.” Yuan Zhao looked at the sky. “Hurry up and hang up the rain curtain.”

Zhu Yin quickly took out the rain curtain that Ning Caiwei had prepared and hung it on the side of the cell where there was no wall. Ning Caiwei had also prepared two small weights to weigh down the rain curtain.

According to regulations, rain curtains can only be hung to block rain when it is raining. They are not allowed to be used when it is not raining.

Just as Zhu Yin hung up the curtain of rain, a bolt of lightning cleaved through the clouds, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.

Immediately, a torrential downpour began.

"Hua Hua Hua..."

The entire examination hall was filled with the sound of torrential rain pounding against thousands of green tiles, a deafening roar like ten thousand horses galloping.

The icy raindrops, falling on the scorching hot tiles, instantly turned into wisps of white vapor, like water mist rising into clouds, before disappearing in an instant.

The room numbers of thousands of test takers were all covered with rain curtains, creating a colorful and spectacular sight.

The guards, wearing the straw hats and raincoats they had prepared beforehand, still stood outside their cells performing their duties, braving the wind and rain.

As the heavy rain fell, a strong wind swept in.

Many people were unprepared and did not have any weight to hold down the rain curtain, so the rain curtain was blown up by the strong wind, and the rain poured in, wetting the exam paper and staining the ink.

Some people even had their exam papers swept away by the strong wind, and they immediately beat their chests in despair, crying and chasing after the whistle.

It's already afternoon, and if the draft is ruined, I might not have time to finish the exam.

Many test takers shielded themselves from the rain, getting half-soaked, but still trying to protect their exam papers.

Zhu Yin's rain curtain was weighed down by a small weight, preventing it from being lifted by the strong wind. In addition, Yuan Zhao was standing at the door to shield him from the wind and rain, making the situation much better.

Not a drop of rain drifted into the small cell, so there was no discomfort from getting wet.

Hearing the storm raging outside, he felt calm and wrote more smoothly.

By the time darkness fell and lamps were lit, Zhu Yin had completed the drafts of two questions on the interpretation of the Book of Poetry, leaving only two questions to be answered.

Zhu Yin put on another layer of clothing and continued writing. Ah Jin, on the other hand, hid inside his clothes to keep warm and refused to peek out again.

After the two candles burned out, the second watch drum sounded in the city (nine o'clock), and Zhu Yin barely finished the drafts of all the exam questions.

At this moment, it was just the end of a day's exams.

"Young master," Yuan Zhao, who had been standing in the rain for several hours, reminded him, "You can stop writing today; you should rest early."

Zhu Yin nodded, put away the paper and pen, and looked relieved.

The rain had lessened considerably by then, but it hadn't stopped yet.

Zhu Yin rubbed his wrist, feeling both grateful and sympathetic towards Yuan Zhao.

It was a tough day, with sun and rain everywhere.

"Brother Yuan, you should also go and rest. You've really worked hard today." Zhu Yin felt a little guilty.

Yuan Zhao smiled and said, "Although it was really hard work, we will be rewarded after the exam, so it was not a waste of our efforts."

When Yuan Zhao left, Zhu Yin looked again and saw that many candidates in the examination rooms were still writing.

The patrolling officials issued a notice: no more writing allowed; lights out and pens shut immediately. Anyone caught staying up all night to take the exam would have their paper invalidated.

Similarly, talking to each other at night, leaving the exam room without permission, would result in the exam papers being invalidated.

If you urgently need to urinate, you have to wait for the patrolling soldiers to arrive before they will take you to the latrine.

Of course, it can also be done in the cell.

Immediately, a series of sighs rang out, like autumn winds and rain.

The first day of the exam is the most important. Many candidates already have a good idea of ​​how they performed today, whether they passed or failed.

Zhu Yin blew out his candle and looked at the dark night sky, which was filled with wind and rain. He felt as if he had just had a long dream.

After nearly two years in the Ming Dynasty, he finally participated in the provincial examination.

Only then did he feel an indescribable weariness.

It felt as if all my energy had been drained by those seven articles.

Faintly, he heard a mournful soliloquy coming from a cell not far away:

"Every year I fail the imperial examinations and return east, ashamed to face my former master in Chang'an."

P.S.: That's all for the exam room. I'll write about things outside the exam room tomorrow. I'm in a bad mood today, so I'll stop here. Thank you, goodnight.

(End of this chapter)